Deep within the Klaryn Mountains there existed a magic chasm which kept the surrounding kingdoms Summer, Autumn, Winter and Spring in their eternal respective season all year. Many years ago the magic chasm was discovered by the season and the Rhythm kingdoms, which standby near the season kingdoms in Primoria. The Kings or Queens of each Kingdom create conduits, objects that contain magic and allow the holder to use the magic the conduit posses, from the chasm; each ruler connected that conduit to their bloodline as well as their gender, only allowing their children of the same gender to use the conduit when they passed.
The Kingdoms of Primoria lived in peace until the leader of Spring, Angra, marched into Winter, killed their Queen, and broke their conduit. The Winterians were either killed or imprisoned, all except 25 who escaped with the Queen’s only child, her son Mather. Since that day, those 25 refugees have fled from place to place narrowly escaping capture by Spring and conducting missions to recover Winters broken conduit in hope of bringing the pieces together and freeing Winter for the deadly grasp of Spring. This frighteningly enticive plotline is how Sara Raasch begins the first book, Snow Like Ashes, in her thrilling new book trilogy.
Meira, is a young orphaned girl who was included in the 25 refugees that escaped. All her life she has lived in the perpetual shadows that William, leader of the Winter refugees, has cast upon her by trying to force her into the lifestyle of a young lady who sits on the sidelines while the soldiers fight for Winter. All Meira ever wanted was to matter, to Winter, to William and to Mather. train as a soldier and fight for her kingdom which she has never seen.
Finally Meira gets the chance to show the remaining nine refugees that she is capable to helping Winter as a soldier when she is allowed to travel to a Spring city to attempt to retrieve one half of Winter’s broken conduit. This is only the beginning of Meira’s fabulously intriguing journey with shocking plot twists which will no doubt keep readings hanging onto every word.
“No matter what happens, no matter who turns on me, no matter what pompous swine thinks he has power over me, I am still me. I will always be me.” Throughout the book Meira continuously struggles with being powerless. It seems that no matter where she goes or what she does there will always be someone who has power over her, whether that power is a magic conduit or fierce orders from her superiors. What Meira does not know is she has more power than she thinks, she may just be one young soldier girl but “Even the strongest blizzards start with a single snowflake.”
With amazing characters that readers will instantly fall in love with, this book is surely one to put on a “to-read” list. The world of Snow Like Ashes is ever changing and evolving continuously throughout the story making for an enticingly realistic world that will pull any reader in head first.